ISLAMABAD (MNN); The federal government has announced March 20 and March 21 as public holidays for offices on the occasion of Eidul Fitr, according to a notification issued by the Cabinet Division on Sunday.
The notification stated, “The prime minister has been pleased to declare March 20 and 21, 2026 (Friday and Saturday) as public holidays on the occasion of Eidul Fitr, for offices observing both five- and six-day work weeks.”
The Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission has forecast that Eidul Fitr is expected to fall on March 21, as the chances of sighting the Shawwal moon on March 19 are low.
However, the final decision regarding the sighting of the Shawwal moon and the official start of Eidul Fitr will be made by the Central Ruet-i-Hilal Committee. Suparco emphasized that the Ruet-i-Hilal Committee is the “sole competent authority to announce the beginning of Islamic months based on credible witness testimonies and verified observations from across the country.”
Earlier, the Pakistan Meteorological Department predicted that Ramazan would likely complete 30 days this year and that the Shawwal moon would not be visible on the evening of March 19, meaning Eidul Fitr would probably begin on March 21.
Ahead of the festive occasion, Pakistan Railways announced the operation of four special trains from major stations to various destinations: the first from Lahore to Karachi on Monday, the second from Quetta to Rawalpindi on Tuesday, the third from Karachi to Peshawar on March 17, and the fourth from Karachi to Lahore on March 18.
